Ladder.



No. 838,275. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906. W. A. RICH & L. WIOK.

' LADDER.

APPLICATION FILED JULYlB. 1906.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LADDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

' Application filed July 16, 1906. Serial No. 326,459.

To all whom it incty concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM A. R1011 and LLOYD VIGK, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ladders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to ladders, and its primary object is to provide supports adapted to be applied to the lower ends of the side bars of a ladder to maintain the ladder in position for use and avoid the liability of the slipping of the ladder upon the surface on which it rests.

A further object of the invention is to provide supporting means adapted to be applied to the lower ends of the side bars of a ladder to support the ladder in such a manner as to permit it to be turned to an inclined position on either side of said supports.

The construction of the improvement Will be fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and its novel features will be defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in per spective of the lower end of a ladder with our improved supports applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, illustrating by dotted lines different positions to which the ladder may be turned. Fig. 3 is a detail per spective of a metallic strap adapted to be secured to the lower ends of the side bars of the ladder. Fig. 4 is a similar view of a pivotal connection forming part of the invention. Fig. 5 is a similar view of a semicircular pivot block adapted to be secured to the metallic strap shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a similar View of a base-block formed with a concave bearing for the pivot-block to which it is secured and provided with a shoe or bearing of rubber.

.The reference-numeral 1 designates the side bars of a ladder connected by the usual rounds 2 and having the improved supports secured thereto.

As the two supports applied to the lower ends of the ladder are identical in construction, a description of one will suffice for both.

The support employs a metallic strap 8, bent upwardly at its ends to provide parallel arms 4 which embrace the front and rear edges of the side bar 1 of the ladder. This strap may be of cast or malleable metal and is formed with openings 5 in its body portion to receive screws or other fastenings to secure it to the upper flat side 6 of a semicircular pivot-block 7, the latter being formed with corresponding screw-holes 8. The arms 4 of the metallic strap are also formed with screw holes 9 to receive screws for securing the strap to the side bar 1.

The upper face of the pivot-block 7 is formed with a central transverse groove 10 to receive a pivot-rod 11, the ends of which project beyond the sides of the block 7 and are secured to the upper ends of brackets, each comprising two diverging arms 12, connected at their upper ends and formed at their lower ends with screw-holes 13 to receive screws which secure the brackets to the opposite sides of a base-block 14, hollowed out on its upper side to provide a concave seat 15 for the rounded under side of the pivot-block 7.

To the under surface of the base-block 14 is secured in any suitable manner a shoe or bearing 16, of rubber or like yielding material, to prevent the base-block from slipping the ground or other surface upon which it may rest.

The utility of the improvement will be readily understood, as it is obvious that a ladder provided therewith will be firmly held against slipping, and the pivotal connection of the base-block and the semicircular block 7 permits the ladder to be quickly placed in position on either side of the base-block, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

WVhile the construction and manner ofconnecting the parts of the device are simple and effective, we would have it understood that the invention includes all such modifications or changes in the details of the device as may be resorted to without departing from the terms and scope of the claims.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A ladder-support comprising a metallic strap adapted to be secured to the lower end of the side bar of the ladder, a semicircular pivot-block secured below said strap, and a base-block provided with a concave bearing to receive the pivotblock, and means for pivotally securing said pivot-block and base block together.

2-. A ladder-support comprising a metallic strap having parallel arms adapted to be secured to the lower end of the side bar of the ladder, a semicircular block secured to the under side of said strap, and formed with a transverse groove on its upper surface, a baseblock formed on its upper side with a concave bearing to receive the pivot-block, and means for pivotally connecting said blocks comprising a rod within said groove, and bracketsse; cured at their upper ends to the ends of said rod and at their lower ends to the opposite sides of the base-block. s

3. The combination with the side bars of a ladder, of supports therefor each comprising a metallic strap having arms to overlap the front and rear edges of the side bar, at the lower end thereof, a semicircular pivot-block secured to the under side of said strap and formed with a transverse groove on its upper side, a base-block formed with a concave bearing on its upper side to receive the pivotblock, means for pivotally connecting said blocks comprising a rod fitting said groove, and brackets secured at their upper ends to 20 the ends of said rod, and at their lower ends to the opposite sides of the base-block, and a shoe or bearing of rubber on the under side of said base-block.

In testimony whereof We affix our signa- 25 tures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. RICH. LLOYD WIOK.

Witnesses MAX H. SRoLovITz, E. E. POTTER. 

